Take 5

I needed a little help today.
Some days are just like that.
Walking into a middle school in late April is a crap-shoot.

Is it going to come up good?
Or is it going to shatter?
I never know.

Today I had to work really hard to keep my sparkle
from darkening too much.
I had to force myself to focus on the good.
I made up my mind to look at only the good in my day.

This didn't happen all at once.
Nope.
I had a big gloomy Eeyore cloud over my head for most of the day.
I really don't like being gloomy.
It's not at my core nature.
But sometimes the gloomy, negativity of a couple teenagers
occasionally latches on to me and like a fungus,
it gets under my skin.

And then at lunch,
I had had enough.
I vented to my friends (Thank you!)
and ate homemade Macaroni and Cheese.
(I'm sooo glad that I made that last night!)

Slowly, I felt the gloom lift.
Just a little.
Then a little more.
During 5th period, I had most of it gone,
but at the end of class
I still needed a little extra boost to free myself completely.

And then...
I saw it.
Two of my goofy students were dancing,
and in that moment, I knew what I needed.
A dance party!
Whoop! Whoop!

I turned on some Disco music
and we had a 5 minute dance party.
Those two boys had a dance off...
squaring off with their "moves."
Other students joined in.
Instantly the giggles rose in my throat,
and the next thing I knew,
I was laughing really hard.

Yes,
it was completely goofy.
No, it isn't a part of the curriculum.
But when most of their (and my) day
is consumed by standards, targets, and state testing,
sometimes we just need to take 5.
5 minutes to be goofy.
5 minutes to laugh, smile, and most importantly boogie down.



So in your stressful moments,

remember that it's just a moment.
Just a little spot of time.
It may be stressful
and the gloom may overwhelm you,
but don't let it totally consume you.
Ultimately it will pass,
but you can help it along by finding your own 5 minutes.
Maybe it will be a silly dance party like mine.
Maybe it will be a quick walk outside.
Or maybe it will being greeted at home by someone you love.

Life is so much more than the things that bring us gloom.

Whatever it is,

own it.

Breathe it in.

And if you're like me,

just DANCE!

Animals make better people.

Most of my best friends as a child were animals.

Shocked?

Surprised?

Stunned at this revelation? 

Nah, I didn't think so.


I think people are just born with this intense connections to animals.
Sure people can grow to love animals,
and want to make a difference in the lives of creatures.
But there's a different level of trust and understanding
that is innate in those of us born with this gift.
I had always thought that I was weird.
No one, not even my family understood my love of dogs.
Actually, I don't really fully understand it myself.
All I know is that I feel better when they're around.
Dogs make me more calm.
I feel like I'm fully myself with a dog by my side.
It's just the way that I was made.
Born that way.

Some people played with dolls as kids,

others like myself played with stuffed animals.
I would pretend that they were
an injured animal for me to heal,
students for me to teach,
and superheroes to save the day.
But even better, if you were lucky enough to have parents like mine,
they gave you the real thing.
















Animals make better people.
They just do.
Animals build compassion.
They build responsibility,
along with knowledge of cause and effect.
They help strengthen communication.
And ultimately,
animals teach about love and loss.
Having an animal die is a way to help children understand death
and that love never truly dies...
it lives in you heart forever.

Do you want to make better people?
ADOPT!
But only get a pet if you are ready for a lifetime commitment...
real animals are a 16+ commitment to love.

Here are some great places to look for a new family member.

Oregon Humane Society
1067 NE Columbia Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
503-285-7722
Visiting Hours:
      Sunday-Wednesday 10 am-7pm
      Thursday-Saturday 10am-9pm

Herd U Needed A Home

Specializing in Herding Breeds

The rescue that my Mom's Daisy girl came from!

PO Box 9063

Bend, OR  97702

Woods Creek Pit Bull Rescue

Silverton, Oregon

woodscreekrescue@gmail.com

Bomber & Jake

April 4, 2015

At some builds, I meet the dogs and
they are bouncing and happy-go-lucky fidos.
While at other builds, the dogs are nervous...
I totally understand nervous dogs.
My sweet boy is a nervous fido too.

So when we arrived at this build and I met Bomber,
the sweet grandpa of Jake and saw his nervous little shy tail,
I hoped to see something special.
And I did.

At the beginning of the build,
Bomber was hiding,
trying to stay away from all of us.
Jake, the grandson, was just a happy guy,
showing not much concern for anything.

The most amazing thing happened that day...
It's one of my favorite things about working with Fences For Fido.
Dogs change when they are no longer confined.
Wait until you see it!
Bomber went from a shy nervous dog, to a prancing fido greeting each volunteer.
And the BEST part?
Bomber and Jake have smiles that stretch a mile long.

 Just watch and feel your smile spread across your face too.

Bomber & Jake

3 Little Piggies

Once upon a time
there were three little pigs in a smallish pen.
A group of people showed up one day
and started to build a fence for the little doggy out front.

Soon though,
a lady came over talked to the pigs.
She was kind and had a whole bunch of friends.
Next thing the little piggies knew
there were more people over by them.

Those people put in posts,
stretched more fencing,
all while smiling and giggle a bunch.
Those people weren't regular people,
they were animal heroes.

Next thing they knew,
the little piggies saw the fence right by them torn away.
And WOOSH!
Those little piggies were off.
They ran.
They pranced.
They even did a little jig dance.
The best thing was that they were happy
and had a larger place to graze.

Thanks Fences For Fido.
Those little piggies weren't fidos,
but you saw a need and met it.
That's what love does.

3 Little Pigs

Happy Hooves!